Policy makers as institutional entrepreneurs: The opportunities and challenges of using missions for driving sustainability transitions

A major development in the fields of innovation and sustainability policy is the rising interest for ‘mission-oriented innovation policies’ (MIPs). The formulation and pursuit of a mission with an ambitious societal goal may drive the transformation of socio-economic systems. So far, the nascent debate on MIPs has hardly touched upon the question how governmental bodies – as change agents - can involve relevant stakeholders in the risky but necessary search and spread of solutions for complex societal problems. In this paper, we build on institutional change and institutional entrepreneurship theory to explain which processes might affect the outcomes of mission-based policies for driving transitions. Based on a combination of conceptual work and interviews with ±35 policy makers, we conceptualize ‘mission practitioners’ as institutional entrepreneurs and shed light on the tensions, questions and risks they may face.